A murderer from Thamesmead blamed his alter-ego Ronnie for his violent outbursts.

Scott Clifford, 33, was found guilty this week of the murder of his teenage girlfriend, Natasha Hill last year.

The jealous boyfriend battered the teenager to death leaving her with 53 injuries and was branded a "coward" as he refused to appear in court yesterday to be sentenced.

He called for an ambulance claiming she had fallen down the stairs but was caught out when paramedics spotted him trying to wash his clothes as they battled to save her life.

Natasha Hill's relatives called him a "coward" from the public gallery as the court heard he refused to attend the hearing.

READ MORE: Murderer 'refused to appear in court' to be sentenced for death of teenage girlfriend

The judge added Nathasha Hill must have suffered "extreme pain" during the assault, either because it was a single "prolonged" attack or she woke up briefly after he had fractured her skull.

Clifford has previously

The trial also heard how Clifford in 2012 had attacked his ex-girlfriend Michelle Bateman, who he had six children with.

She said he suddenly jumped on her and she "lost count" of how many times she was punched.

She told of how he blamed his violence on a split personality and alter-ego called 'Ronnie'.

Earlier in the trial, prosecutor Tom Little read a victim impact statement from Miss Hill's older sister, Melissa Hill.

He said: "Natasha looked after herself and looked happy and things changed after she met Scott.

"What really haunts me is I told her if she didn't get away from him he would kill her. I know she told me that she really loved him, I'm not sure she knew what love was.

"She really believed she could change him. I remember saying to my mum it was like watching someone die, she was deteriorating before our eyes."

Melissa, who was six years older than Natasha, said her sister dreamed to be a holiday representative but quit studying at Chelmsford College in Essex because of Clifford.

Mr Little said: "Her dream was to be a holiday rep. Melissa believes she stopped going because of him.

Miss Hill was pronounced dead just 11 minutes after Clifford called paramedics to his flat at 4.22am on April 15 last year.

He claimed he had put her in bed after she drunkenly fell down the stairs and he woke up to find her with black eyes, bleeding and unresponsive.

A post-mortem examination gave her cause of death as a major head injury.

Clifford was sentenced for a minimum of 18 years, with two years concurrent for each ABH count and four months concurrent for the common assault.